Side bearing for railway-cars.



No. 630,358. Patentd Au 8, I899. s. 0. KING.

smE BEARING FOR RAILWAY cAns.

(Application filed may 31, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(Nd Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOH cfzkzneyfljfm a No. 630,358. Patented Aug. 8,1899. S.D. KING.

SIDE BEARING FORRAILWAY CAB$. (Application filed Kay 31, 1899.) (NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INV/VTO'H UNITED STATES".

PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY 1). KING, or DUNMORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingea of Letters Patent No. 630,358, dated August 8,1899.

Application filed May 31, 1899. SerlalNo. 718,876. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ,7

Be it known that I, SIDNEY D. KING, a citizen of the United States,residin gin D unmore, in the county of Lackawanna, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Side Bearingsfor Railway Cars, of which the following is a full and correctdescription.

The invention relates to the provision in a railway-car, in connectionwith the ordinary bearing-springs,which are sustained upon the outerextremities of the axles of the trackwheels and which at their upperextremity receive the bed-frame of the car, of corresponding auxiliaryorsupplemental springs which are mounted in housings or casings which arefixed upon the bed-frame and be tween it and the box or body of the car,such inclosure being commonly termed the springcase, the object of thisprovision being to furnish between the car and the main subjacentbody-springs or bearing-springs, which have great rigidity or stiffnessand firmness, a means whereby the jar, shock, concussion, and also thetwist or torsional strain upon the frame, sides, and roof of the cararising from sudden contact of the wheels with obstructions and alsofrom unevenness or inequalities of surface of road-bed or trackrails,abrupt curves, or from any cause whatever may be modified and alleviatedthrough the distribution or diffusion throughout the superstructure ofthe car of such disturbing and injurious effects, for it will beunderstood that the auxiliary springs are of much greater flexibilityand compressibility than the main or bearing springs and that by reasonof this difierence of quality or function they operate through theirinterposition between the bearing-springs, which first receive and'takeup or transmit any shock which is imparted to the truck-wheels frombelow, and the body of the car above to relieve and modify, spread out,or cushion, as it were, and thereby minimize the jarring and wearingeffects which would otherwise result from such shocks. Cars showing thisgeneral construction are found in United States Patent No. 249,370,issued to me on the 8th day of November, 1881, and in United StatesPatent No. 273,693, issued to me on the 6th day of March, 1883. Thesecars have been employed for several years with results in most respects,so far as their general mechanical operation is concerned, sosatisfactory as to leave little to be desired; but it has been found innumerous instances that upon rough roads and upon tracks which aboundvin short curves the frequent violent pounding contact of the coils ofthe springs one upon an other, caused by the upand-down movement of thebody of the car when heavily loaded, has caused gradual disintegrationand ultimate destruction through fracture of the body of the springsthemselves, thereby rendering their renewal necessary, and thisexperience has led me to devise the novel and more effective and durableconstruction which will now be described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 represents a side perspective elevation of aportion of a railway-car which has my improved spring bearing-caseapplied upon the top of the truck-frame thereof. Fig. 2 is a detailshowing the relation of the spring-case to the body of the car above it.Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the spring-case and of the spring itself inpart.- Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the side bearing and itsspring. Fig. 5 is a detail bottom plan of the central portion of thecasing and represents the inner shoulder, stop, or seat in the top ofthe dome or main chamber of the casing, the cap and the springhavingbeen removed. Fig. 6 represents an end elevation of the casing or mainchamber, the slidable cap and the spring proper having been detached.Fig. 7 is a top plan of the vertically-movable cap detached. Fig. 8 is abottom plan or interior view of the cap detached. Fig. 9 is a verticallongitudinal section of the cap detached. Fig. 10 is a transversesection of the cap as in the line y y of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a side Viewof the semi-elliptic spring. Fig. 12 is a top plan of the spring shownin side view in Fig.'11. Fig. 13 is a transverse section as in the linem m of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 represents in a plan view a modifiedconstruction of the dome or main chamber which incloses the spring andwithin which the spring and the cap which surmounts it have upend-downmovement.

As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the springcase so of the side bearingS12 is secured by bolts 1) b or other suitable means to the uppersurface of the truck-frame if, the projecting unattached extremities ofthe horizontally-arranged spring 8 resting loosely between theupwardly-projecting guides g 9 upon the baseplate bp of the spring-case;but it will be apparent that the base-plate, and also the side supportsor buttresses $8 of the spring-case, might be dispensed with and thatthe chamber or dome 0 might be provided with heavy flanges cf, suitablyperforated, to permit it to be secured directly to the plate of thetruck-frame, substantially as in Fig. 14:. Under such modifiedconstruction the projecting extremities of the spring would restdirectly upon the surface of the truck.- frame, or in suitable shallowgrooves or guideways formed in the body of the frame, to preventpossible late-ral deviation of such extremities in their slight movementtoward or from the center of the spring-case as the springis alternatelycompressed and released.

Upon the bottom of the carA and in verticalplane with the cap a ofeachspring-case is applied a rub-iron 'or friction-plate a of'sui tabledimensions. It should beunderstood that when the car is at rest therub-iron and thespring-cap are several inches asunder instead: of beingnearly in contact, as seen in Fig. 2'.

To-facilitate the movement of thespri-ngcap toward or away from its seatupon the shoulder sh in the upper extremity of the chamber a, theexterior surface of the cap and theinterior surface or spring way of thechamber are uniformly diminished or tapered from bottom: to top on eachof the-four sides of these parts, the chamber having-a rectangular topopeningo-to permit the upper por- (ion of the cap-to project through itas the end flangesor shoulders cf of thecap come to rest upontheshoulders-sh of the chamber in the manner described.

The spring 3 is in thisinstance com-posed of four loosely-overlyingleaves, which are composedof-steel and are, at their m-idJength, rigidlysecured together by an inclosing band or clamp, which is formed fromsuitable metal and; maybe termed the hub 7m. In the upper extremity ofthe spring-cap at the center thereof is a shallow rectangular cavity ca,Figs. 8, 9, and 10, which isadapted to receive and engage theupwardly-projectin g portion of the hub, and thereby prevent anydisplacement of the spring longitudinally.

It will be noted that the outer extremities of: the-longer or bottomleafof the spring are curved first downwardly and then upwardly at thepoint where the spring rests upon the bottom or baseplate of the sidebearing, or, when that construction is adopted, upon the topof thetruck-frame. By reason of this curvature of the spring it is enabled inits slight longitudinal to-and-fromovement to pass freely over slightinequalities or obstaclesin or.- upon the surface on which it restsinstead of striking them by its extreme end invention is applicable.

. the distance between the inner upper extremity of the spring case orchamber 0 and the bottom thereof is greater than the distance .betweenthe top of such spring-case and the rub-iron or friction-plate, upon thecar. As

a consequence of this difference the spring can never be inoperativeandinert, but even whenthe rub-iron and the spring-case are under anyviolent movement of the car-body brought for an instant into contactwill still -exert its relieving upward pressure against Y the face ofthe rub-iron and. will thereby to theextent of such upwardthru-strelieve the downward pressureupon thebeari'ngsprings upon the axle,whereas if such distanceswere equal contact of the rubiron orfriction-plate with the top of the spring case or-chamber would flattenthe spring against the floor of the chamber, and-it would thus becomewholly ineffective, and, in the parlance of theshops and the yard, deadand incapableof any active mechanical function whatever. This capabilityof'con-tinuous: exertion of its 'relievingand cushioning powersis of theutmostimportance in the practical operation of all the variousclassesof' cars to whichthe An additional important advantage in thepractical use of this invention results from the facility with whichthe. described side bearing may be substituted for others which are lesseffective in their operation or which have become greatly worn. or whichfor any :other reason it is desired to discard. Furthermore, it willbe-seen that in. the use of this invention in cases in. which it is:desired to-renew the side bearingv byt-he substitution of-a new springonly the operation may be accomplished by the removal of the springalone. A pivoted recessed lifting-ring r or any simple equivalentthereof being provided upon the topof the spring-cap, the-capis, bymeans-of such ring, lifted to its highest positi'onin contact withtheshoulders or seat-sh at the upper extremity of the-spring chamber orway. This effects disengagement. of the hub or band 7m at the midlengthof the spring from the cavity cat in the spring-cap, by which thecentrality and undetachabi-lity of the spr1n g would otherwise bemaintained, whereupon the spring may readily uponslight compression bemoved longitudinally along its ways, and being thus withdrawn in-eitherdirectionanew: one is as readily substituted. The ability thus tosubstitute anew spring for an old one in a moment of timei's anotherimportant practical advantage arising from this construction, economy oftime being. an important factor in all railway operations.

Inthe foregoing description provision. is made in the case or chamberfor a rectangular cap and a rectangular opening only; but

it will be apparent that each might be made of circular, elliptical, orother convenient form without at all exceeding the limits of thisinvention; also, the case or chamber might in some cases be made longenough to wholly inclose the arch-like spring.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed is- 1. A sidebearing for railway-cars which is provided with a spring case or chamberwhich is open at its bottom and at its ends, and which, interiorly, isupwardly-tapered or diminished from its lower extremity; ahorizontally-arranged spring which rests by its ends upon the base-plateof the chamber, or upon the truck-frame; and an upwardly-tapered cap;which rests upon the horizontally-arranged spring; the case or chamberbeing adapted to permit the spring-sustained cap to project upwardlythrough it; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A side bearing for railway-cars which has a spring case or chamberwhich in its upper extremity is provided with an opening; a spring,within the case or chamber; and a spring-cap or rub-plate which issustained upon and actuated by the spring, and is adapted, in theoperation of the side bearing, to project through the opening in thecase or chamber, and to receive the contact of the friction-plate orrub-iron of the car upon which such side bearing is mounted.

3. A side bearing for railway-cars which is provided with a spring caseor chamber which is open atits bottom and at its ends; a springcap whichis movable, up or down, within the spring case or chamber which isinsertible and withdrawable through the end openings of such case orchamber; and a relievingspring which by its central portion supports thespring-cap, and which by its ends rests upon the base-plate, or othersurface, upon which the side bearing is mounted.

4. A side bearing for railway-cars which embraces a base-plate whichrests upon, oris formed by, the body of the truck-frame; a spring caseor chamber which is open at each end, and is secured upon thebase-plate; an arch-like or semi-elliptic horizontally insertible andwithdrawable spring, within the case or chamber, and resting by its endsloosely and unattached, upon the base-plate; and a vertically-movablecap, which rests, by its central portion, upon the arch-like spring; andwhich, in the operation of the side bearing, alternately actuates and isactuated by the spring.

5. In a side bearing for railway-cars, a spring case or chamber which isopen at its top, at its bottom, and at its ends; a horizontally-arrangedarch-like, or semi-elliptic, detachable spring which is centrally placedwithin the case or chamber, and which rests by its extremities upon theplate on which the side bearing is mounted; and a springcap which ismovable, up or down, within the case or chamber, through a space whichis greaterin extent than the distance between the topof the case orchamber, and the bottom of the rub-iron or friction-plate upon the car.

6. In a side bearing for railwaycars, a spring case or chamber which ismounted upon a base-plate, and which is open at each of its two ends, atits bottom and at its top; an arch-shaped spring which is received within the case or chamber and is horizontally withdrawable therefrom, andwhich by each extremity of the arch rests upon the base or supportingplate; and a cap which rests upon the crown of the arch-shaped spring,and which is movable, up or down, within the case or chamber, accordingas it is actuated by the pressure of the spring from below, or bydownward movement of the car-body and its friction-plate or rub-ironfrom above.

7. A side bearing for railway-cars which has a horizontally-arrangedspring case or chamber; a slidable spring-cap or rub-plate; and ahorizontally-arranged arch-like or semielliptic relieving-spring whichis detachably centered in the slidable spring-cap; the case or chamberbeing open at each end, so that the horizontally-arranged spring may bewithdrawn, for repair or renewal, without removal of any other of theparts of such side bearing.

8. A side bearing for railway-cars which embraces a spring case orchamber which is open at its two opposite ends, at its bottom and at itstop, and which rests, either indi- 10o rectly by a base-plate, ordirectly, upon the truck-frame of the car; a vertically-movable cap,within the spring case or chamber; and a horizontally arranged springwhich is loosely engaged with the movable cap, and 105 which is readilywithdrawable horizontally endwise from the spring case or chamber.

9. A side bearing for railway-cars which is provided with a spring caseor chamber, and with an arch-shaped spring which rests loosely 1 10 andunattached, by its opposite extremities, upon a horizontally-arrangedbed-plate, or truck-frame and which is insertible into, or withdrawablefrom its operative position, without removing any of the other parts of115 the construction; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto, at Duninore, Pennsylvania, on this17th day of May, 1899, aflixed my signature in presence :20 of twosubscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY D. KING.

Witnesses:

O. W. BOGART, O. F. OORRELL.

